Under Construction: Community steps up to rebuild Camp Joy dorm

photo Blake Mullins, a project manager, talks about beginning work on a new dormitory at Camp Joy.
photo Camp Joy

• Name: New dormitory for Camp Joy

• Location: 6627 Hunter Road

• Status: Workers are building the foundation for a new dormitory twice the size of the original, which was destroyed in a March tornado. Officials with Pointe General Contractors say the next stage will see vertical construction on the two-story building, with a completion target of August.

• Price: Camp Joy is paying about $1.4 million for the structure, which will cost a total of $2.2 million to build. The balance of $800,000 has been donated by Highland Park Baptist Church members and local contractors.

• Features: The dormitory, which will serve as the primary dorm for all Camp Joy campers and staffers, will include 12,000 square feet. The exterior will be covered by Hardie siding, and a stone masonry veneer in some areas. Inside, the plan is for a simple layout of painted drywall and tile surfaces. Eight upstairs and eight downstairs bunkrooms will hold about 200 campers and staffers, officials say.

• Owner: Highland Park Baptist Church

• About Camp Joy: Using 100 acres he bought from TVA for $3,000, Highland Park Baptist Church pastor and Tennessee Temple University founder Lee Roberson founded the camp in 1946, according to the group's website. Roberson named the camp after Joy Caroline, his baby daughter who died suddenly while he was away. The Christian camp targets urban youth, and has given more than 128,000 children a chance to ride horses, go swimming, play baseball and learn about the Bible.

• Contractors: Pointe General Contractors

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